The Lotus and The Angel
by xXGothicVampiressXx
Summary: Lee and his friend Mitsukai's apartments are next to each other. Problem, Mitsukai's a girl and strong bonds begin to grow between them. She really likes him but he's clueless. Can Lee get the girl? And could Gai's timing be any worse?
1. Home

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Chapter One: Home

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Sort of AU but not totally also a little OOC. And also La is said L-A, like the city.

An alarm clock beeped in the small apartment. A thud echoed when it was knocked of the bedside table.

"Gah! Why do I have to get up so early on Saturdays?" Lee asked himself. It was seven o' clock. Lee rolled out of bed. His apartment was more of a shared house, a small one at that. There was a girl next door that graduated the academy the same year. She was okay but a little, well, strange. He walked to the door that split the house in half. Most times both kept it unlocked. He knocked loudly on the door.

A soft, gentle voice said from inside," Come in." Lee stepped into her three room half of the house. There was a girl with pale blue hair falling over her shoulders and a green nightgown sitting at a table reading a thick book. "Hi Lee-kun," she said placing the book on a high shelf.

"Good morning Little Angel, what was that?"

Mitsukai blushed, she liked the nickname. Originally it was Tenten's idea and it kind of stuck to her. The others had changed it so she was Angel, Lil'Angie, La, and other things like that. "It was a bible and, nice pajamas."

"Hey! You're in your pajamas too!"

"Yes, but I'm in my own house."

"Oh I suppose," he said smiling.

"So, Lee, do you want some breakfast? I have some tea in the kettle, and I could put some toast in."

"Sure."

Mitsukai started walking toward a door. "I'm going to get changed, I suggest you do too before Gai-Sensei comes by."

Lee looked puzzled. "How did you know Gai-Sensei was coming by?"

"Doesn't he always on Saturday mornings?"

Lee sighed a, "Yes." He stood up and walked to his own rooms. Sometimes Mitsukai could be so weird. Lee went digging through his dresser to find his clothes. Normally he would have set them out the night before, but he hadn't taken the time last night. "I need to be more organized," he said pulling out his clothes. He was pulling on his pants when a soft knock came on the other side of the door.

"Lee-kun breakfast is ready."

"Okay I'll be over in a couple minutes." Though he couldn't see her he could tell she was nodding. After about thirty seconds Lee heard a loud crash. He through open the door and yelled, "What happened?"

"Oh, I um, well, I, uh, slipped," she responded blushing.

"Be a little bit more careful, Mitsukai, you scared me."

"Oh, uh, alright, Lee. But could you do me a favor too?"

He scratched his head. "Well, I suppose."

"Then could you um, you know, maybe, put your shirt on."she said blushing even more. Lee hadn't even noticed. He pulled his shirt around his shoulders. Mitsukai was already kneeling at the low table. There were two glasses filled with piping hot tea, and toast set out on the table.

Mitsukai was the same age as him. She wore a pale green tunic, tan capri-length pants, a jade necklace, a green hitai-ate, and ninja sandals. Her hair was swept up in a bun. Lee sat down next to her at the table

"Are you always awake this early? After all it is only seven o' clock," Lee asked yawning. Mitsukai chuckled. "What it so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. But yes I am always awake at this hour," she said stretching.

After they had finished eating and Lee had returned to his rooms a knock came on La's door.

"Hello, La, is Lee here?" Gai asked.

She sighed and said "Follow me." They walked through her house to Lee's door. She knocked. When he opened the door she said, "Lee, you really should tell your sensei that your door is the one on the _left." _Lee laughed.

"Yes, I suppose I should."

"Hello, Lee. Ready to leave?"

"Yes, Gai-sensei."he said giving him a thumbs up. Mitsukai moved aside to let Gai through the door. She waved him a bye, grabbed her kunai pouch and shurikan holster and walked out the back door.

Lee walked up the street after nearly six hours of training. Chiteki and Reikon were walking the opposite direction. Both were genin of his year, and also La's teammates. Reikon stopped him when he caught sight of the other teen.

"Do you know where La is?" Reikon asked. Koinu added a high pitched bark.

"No, I do not. I have not seen her since this morning. Why?"

"We were knocking on her door for almost an hour, and she never answered." Chiteki said. Reikon looked surprisingly a lot like his cousin Kiba. But then again, a lot of the Inuzukas looked alike.

"Where are you two headed? If I see her, I will tell her."

"We're goin' home. Tell her we'll see her tomorrow." Reikon said walking away slowly.

Lee got home some ten minutes later. The front doors were both locked. He tried the back door. His back door was locked, but Mitsukai's was wide open. He stepped in. The rooms were a fair deal messier than they had been in the morning. Mitsukai was lying on a mattress, which served as her bed, a blanket tight to her body. Lee walked over and realized she was sound asleep. Giving her a small nudge he muttered, "La wake up." She didn't move. "Little Angel! Wake up!" Lee said this time shaking her shoulder a bit. She made a few noises and rolled over, so she was looking at Lee.

"AH!" she shrieked sitting bolt upright. Lee fell over back wards.

"I knew you would not be happy that I woke you up, but I did not think you would be mad." La's face was bright pink, and she had the bed covers pulled up to her neck. Lee wondered why. Then when he finally understood he blushed, turned around and left. It was fairly stupid of him to not realize, that La's clothes were lying in a pile next to her bed. She peeped into Lee's room then stepped in seeing he was sitting on his bed. She sat down next to him.

"So why did you wake me up?"

"Chiteki said he was knocking on the door for almost an hour and you never answered."

"Really? Oh well I guess I must have been asleep."

"Yes, probably. If you do not mind, why were you sleeping? It is almost two o' clock."

"Oh, I was, er, training most of the day." Lee stared at her intently.

"We should train together sometime." Mitsukai blushed.

"Maybe, since I'm up, I could show you this really cool place to train."

"Okay then, where?"

"I'll show you." They walked out the back door on to a porch. "Before we leave you have to promise me something. You have to promise that you will tell no one else about the place I'm taking you. Okay?"

"I promise." Mitsukai smiled widely and grabbed his hand. She ran pulling a startled Lee behind her. It seemed like she was just taking him to the woods until he saw something that amazed him. Enormous Gates surrounding a circular area.

"We're here."

"The Forest of Death?"

"It used to be," she muttered releasing his hand, "Now it just sits here. They shut it down years ago, like about the time we entered the academy." She walked to a wooden platform. A number pad was against the platform. She entered a code. The gate before them swung open revealing the old Forest of Death...

Ohhhhhhh cliffy read and review no flames though


	2. The Old Forest of Death

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Chapter Two: The 'Old' Forest Of Death

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Note from the Author: Thanks for the review, and I'd consider myself a dudess/chick XD. With the attention span of a goldfish XDD!

"So, this is where you train?"

"Yes, it is. Shall we go?" Mitsukai asked playfully.

"OK. But first is this like the 'New' Forest of Death?"

She pondered this for a moment then replied, "I wouldn't know. I've never been in the current Forest of Death." Lee sighed.

"Follow me, but watch your back. There are traps everywhere." Lee followed her cautiously. Once inside she entered a code and the gate slammed shut. He followed close behind her. Not long after they entered, they stopped. They had made some good progress.

"I think I heard something," he whispered.

"Get down!" Mitsukai shouted pushing herself and Lee to the ground. Lee's legs came out from under him with the force of La throwing herself at him. He felt a sharp tug at his leg and heard cloth tearing. La landed partially on top of him, both where breathing heavily. She pulled herself off him. She walked calmly to a tree and pulled out two kunai pinned to it. One also pinned one of Lee's weights. Lee looked down to see it had torn away one of his lead weights, and a bit of his pants below the knee. She handed him the weight and put the kunai into a catapult type thing. "Are you hurt, Lee-san?" She asked sitting down next to him.

"No, I am fine," he said smiling. The moment was soon interrupted by a low growl in the underbrush. Both turned to see three enormous tigers.

"Run," she whispered. They shot off the ground and ran full speed away, the tigers still following them every step. Gaining a little ahead they still ran frantically. Lee was ahead of Mitsukai by a few yards. "Lee, watch out!" By the time the words escaped her Lee had already fallen into a carved out pit, hitting his head on the way down. "Lee!" she shouted desperately...

..."Lee, are you awake?" He gripped his throbbing head. The words came again. He looked up. Mitsukai loomed over the hole looking at Lee.

"Y-yes I-I am awake," he stuttered standing up. She sighed with relief.

"They'll be back soon. Get up, quickly!" Lee frantically looked around for a way to escape. La reached inside her kunai pouch looking for something. "Aha!" She pulled out a braided length of wire, which was generally stronger than regular rope. Forming a quick hand sign she produced three shadow clones. The real La passed down the rope to where Lee could reach. Each clone gripped what was left tightly and shouted, "Grab on!" Lee quickly grabbed hold and climbed. At the same time the four Mitsukais pulled him up.

Upon reaching the top Mitsukai released the jutsu and put away the wire. They stood facing the pit when a familiar growl made them jump. Lee looked over his shoulder.

"Well?"

"About ten yards, I would say." He glanced upward. She understood his thinking. Both jumped into the trees. "Which way?" he asked.

"Can you see the tower?" He scanned the treetops.

"Yes," he replied.

"Head for that. We'll be safe there. Erm, I mean safer." The tigers continued their pursuit.

Two hours later at the tower:

"The sun is going down. Are they gone yet?" Lee asked. He sat on the floor of the arena with an empty bowl. Thanks to La constantly spending days on end out here she had brought food and drinks at some point. La sat in a window staring out.

"No, and I don't think they're leaving anytime soon. Do you have any objection for spending the night here?" Lee shook his head.

* * *

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Hope you like it! Review please!


	3. Time to Go!

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Chapter Three: Time To Go!

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Note from the author: Sorry I took so long to update!

Lee had woken up and was walking to the window.

"Are they gone get, Little Angel-chan?" She shook her head.

"But I am getting damn tired of staying here." Lee shook his head thinking of how well the name matched her, usually that is.

"What are you doing Angel-chan?" She had something in her hands roughly the size of a softball. She dropped it out of the window.

The blue haired girl turned to him and said, "Get ready."

"For what?" There was a sudden explosion.

"GO!" They both jumped out the window.

"What was that?" She laughed. "What is so funny?"

"I don't know, that just didn't seem like you. And that was just a bunch of paper bombs."

Lee laughed. She was right.

"Let's get back," she smiled.

They both took about three steps in and collapsed.

Lee spoke in an exhausted tone," I do not feel like moving at all."

"Me neither."

"That was some training though."

La laughed before slowly drifting to sleep.

Gai was knocking on La's door. He knew it was hers, but he couldn't help harassing her a bit. He waited no answer. He peeked in through a window. They were both unconscious by the open back door.

"Holy shit, they're dead!"

Gai ran around the back. He started shaking the two teens.

"Lee! Mitsukai!" They groaned.

"What?" Mitsukai said turning to look at him.

"You're not dead."

"And you're breaking an entry."

Lee mumbled, "What is going on?"

"Your sensei is breaking into my house."

Gai shook his head franticly. "I am not, I just came for Lee."

"Just go, both of you."

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I know it's short the next one will be longer!


	4. Party

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Chapter Four: Party

Konoha's ninja academy was packing with new students on their first day of the year. The desks were filling quickly as the small black haired boy walked in.

"Hello, can I sit with you?" Lee asked. The blue haired girl had looked around. Then said meekly,

"Me?" Lee nodded.

"Um, sure o-ok." He sat down and smiled.

"I am Lee. What is your name?"

"Oh, um, Mitsukai. It's nice to meet you Lee-kun." The pair had continued talking and eventually become great friends.

Mitsukai sighed. That must of been a little over five years ago. Before leaving the academy she and Lee were always together. No one else would talk to them, Mitsukai because she was so quiet and shy, Lee because he was considered a freak for his lack of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. After graduating one or the other was always off on a mission or training. How little they actually talked made Mitsukai feel like she was dying, or like Lee had died in her life. Again she sighed.

_'Why did he have to choose me? Then maybe I wouldn't feel this way.'_

"Yes Lee-kun?" she said leaning against the now open door.

"Hello Angel-chan! I was just wondering if you would like to come with me to a birthday party."

"Party? Whose?"

"Naruto's birthday party! He told me I could bring someone so I figured I should bring you." Mitsukai blushed deeply.

"Oh, ok. Sure I'll go. But when and where is it?"

"It is at his house later tonight. I have got to go so I will meet you back here at six. Bye!" Lee ran out and closed the door. Mitsukai turned so her back was resting on the door.

"Did Lee-kun just ask me on a date?" she thought aloud.

"Um, yes!" Mitsukai grinned and turned around.

"Hi Tenten. You can come in you know." Mitsukai watched her jump from the windowsill into her room. "What's going on?"

"Oh nothing much, just dropped by to make sure Lee would actually ask you."

"That's nice and all but, why?" Tenten laughed.

"I bet Naruto and Kiba 500 yen* that Lee would show up with a date, which is obviously you, La. So if you guys show up together I get 1500 yen."

"Tenten! You're so cruel! Neither of them knows who he could show up with!" They both laughed. Tenten and Mitsukai became great friends almost instantly when they had met in their last year of the academy. "So, Tenten, what's Naruto like anyway?"

"Naruto is kind of hyperactive and well I suppose you'll see. Oh and try not to be too shy. Some of these new genin are actually really nice. Oh that chuunin boy, Shikamaru, too."

"Ok Tenten. So what do you want to do until then?" Tenten grinned.

"Well, someone needs to get ready for her first date!"

"Tenten it's only a birthday party."

"So? I'm still going to make you look at least nice!"

After an hour and a half of Tenten forcibly doing her hair and choosing her clothes Mitsukai was done. Mitsukai's hair fell over her shoulders in loose waves; she wore a low cut long sleeved green shirt with a similar skirt.

"Tenten I think you overdid this a bit!"

"Bull shit! You look great, La! So be quiet and let me do a finishing touch!" Tenten pulled out black slip on shoes.

"You brought shoes?"

"Yeah, yeah I know weird. Just put those on Lee will be here soon!" She did as her friend asked her right before Lee's voice came at the door. "There he is! Come on cheer up!"

Mitsukai nodded and smiled.

"Hi Lee-kun." Lee fumbled for words for a moment then said,

"Wow, Angel-chan, you look wow." Mitsukai blushed.

"Um, thank you. Tenten kind of went overboard though." He looked past her to see Tenten sitting on a stool by the counter.

"Let's go." He put his hand out obviously expecting to walk there hand in hand. Her blush deepened as she took his hand.

"Hey Bushy-Brow! You showed up!"

"Yes, hey Naruto is there any particular reason that everyone is outside?"

"Oh yeah, we already got kicked out. I'm still looking for someone to offer up their place."

Mitsukai spoke up, "Tenten probably will. She's on her way now. Oh and happy birthday by the way."

"Thanks I'll ask her," Naruto said to her, "Wait who are you?"

"Oh yes let me introduce you, Naruto this is Angel-chan."

"Hi, Naruto."

"Hi Angel!" She smiled.

"My name's Mitsukai, but Angel's fine if you like," she giggled.

"OK then. Why does he call you Angel?" he whispered to the girl. He glanced at their hands which were still together. "Hey everybody Lee has a girlfriend!"

"Lee, has a girlfriend?" Sakura shouted.

"Damn I just lost 500 yen!"

"Same here!"

"Angel is not my girlfriend! She is my neighbor damn it!" Everyone went silent. Mitsukai pulled both hands over her mouth.

"Did Lee just, swear?"

"I think he did."

"Hey Mitsukai you OK?" Naruto asked looking at the tears rolling down her cheeks. She laughed very loudly.

"Sorry that was just way out of character!" Everyone else chimed in with laughter. Tenten had showed up just in time to see Lee freak out.

"Hey! Lee can actually swear! Who knew!" She walked over to Naruto and Kiba and whispered. "He got a date and you two owe me."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Oh by the way can we take this party to your place."

"Definitely!"

Everyone was leaving the party by around midnight, both Kiba and Naruto 500 yen lighter.

"Buh bye! I'll see you two later!" Tenten shouted to Mitsukai and Lee. The walk home was quiet.

"Lee-kun, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"If Tenten hadn't made that bet and followed you back, would you have asked me to come to the party with you? Or would you just forget about me and leave me alone? Or were you getting money from this too and I'm just being used! Please answer me!" Lee stopped and blinked in surprise.

"I had not noticed Tenten at all, nor was I told about this bet." The rest of the walk home was in silence.

"Good night Lee-kun. I'm sorry about what I said back there, I didn't mean..."

"It is fine Angel-chan it does not matter. Just consider it forgotten." He closed the door

his anger becoming apparent. She almost knocked on the door but pulled her hand back.

"I'm sorry Lee-kun." Tears glittered in her eyes and dripped down to the ground before it started to rain.

*about 5 dollars.

The ending of this chapter is crap I know because I didn't want a happy ending for something with so many bits of things about me in here which weren't happy things to remember.


	5. Missions Part 1

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Chapter Five: Missions -Part I

Lee knocked on his shy neighbor's door.

"Angel-chan. Angel-chan!"

Tenten put a hand on his shoulder. "Cool it, Lee. Team Iri has been out on a mission with that freak Gai…"

"GAI-SENSEI IS AN AMAZING TEACHER!" Lee yelled. Tenten rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"Whatever, Lee! She'll be gone for the next few days."

"Oh, ok. Why are they with Gai though?"

"Iri-sensei just got back from a mission not ten minutes ago," Tenten paused, "Which is why I came out here. Get your stuff we're going on a mission with Iri-chan."

"We are switching leaders?" Tenten shrugged.

"I guess so. Now c'mon." Lee smiled, nodded, and gave her a thumbs up.

"Thank you wonderful youths for coming!"

"Gai sensei! It's only five o' clock!" Reikon whined.

"Yes! Now let's get moving! Our mission is out in the Land of Rice Paddies!" The entire team sighed. This included Chiteki, who was never one to whine.

"How does Neji put up with this guy?" Reikon whispered to Chiteki. The other boy shrugged as they were debriefed on the mission.

"Neji, Tenten, Lee! Are you guys ready to go?" Pink eyes drifted over the group.

"All ready here Iri-sensei!" Lee shouted excitedly. Tenten and Neji both glanced to the other. Iri stared at the boy curiously. He was usually the only one to speak so freely about him, other than his own team of course.

"You two ready yet?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Sure, Iri-chan."

He waved a hand over his head. "Hn. Lets go."

Iri's current team was headed toward a rendezvous point in outer Fire Country to meet their client. The trip seemed unusually quiet to Iri, but most everyone found it uncomfortable to talk to the man. He wondered if his students' mission was going as awkwardly as this.

Gai's team turned out to be equally quiet. They had reached the Land of Rice Paddies and had begun rooting around for information on Orochimaru. Gai was finding his source on his own and the three genin were left to find what information that they could.

"This is shit. How are we supposed to know where to find information on Orochimaru!" Chiteki elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shut up," he growled.

"You're so mean Chiteki-kun." The boy shrugged.

"Hey, we heard that you were talking about Orochimaru," a nearby girl said. The other girl with her giggled.

"We know where to get some information," the other said slyly.

"Oh really? Can you prove it?" Chiteki asked skeptically.

"Not without some compensation, babe."

"We haven't got any money to give you though," Mitsukai spoke softly.

"I guess that's too bad then."

"We don't really have to give you money just for the source, do we?" Reikon purred stepping closer to the first girl. The girl blushed furiously and backed up.

"Maybe we could work something out." The girls came together and whispered back and forth. "Nhn. That'll work."

"We want some action," the other announced.

Chiteki's frown deepened. "What kind of action?" The girls came up behind both of the boys.

"We want you two to show us a little action."

"Not much, just a little bit of skin," the blonde purred.

"Eh? Really now, are you s-sure about that?" he choked in the middle.

"Yes we are. So do it or lose your source."

"No way in hell," Chiteki stated. Mitsukai tugged on his sleeve. He looked over at the girl.

"It's for the good of it all, Chiteki-kun. Just do it, no one will know." The orange-eyed boy pulled sharply away from her.

"Fine," he grumbled unhappily.

Mitsukai covered her eyes piteously as the foreign girls nearly drooled in anticipation.

Though it only lasted a moment, the temporary act looked a lot like a variation Naruto's 'Sexy no Jutsu.' The girls nearly fainted.

"OK, OK! The best source around here has got to be Tin Mitsumi. She lives in an old cottage just outside of town. Find her and you're set on nearly everything."

"Thank you very much." Mitsukai bowed slightly and rushed away with her friends. Gai sensei appeared from behind a stand, he had seen the whole ordeal. He smiled wickedly at the idea of a new bet with Naruto.

Tenten was getting frustrated by the silence.

"So what are we supposed to be doing?" she whispered to Neji. The dark haired boy shrugged.

I know this is short, but you should be expecting to get weekly/biweekly updates soon!


	6. Missions Part 2

**Chapter Six: Missions - Part II**

Iri elbowed Lee in the ribs lightly.

"Go explain to your teammates. They don't appear to get it." Lee nodded enthusiastically.

"OK, Iri-sensei!" Lee quickly fell back and joined his teammates. "Tenten-san, Neji-san, Iri-sensei wants me to explain the mission to you! So, we are meeting our client out to the outer edge of Fire Country to escort them to the Great Naruto Bridge. He will get a different guide home so this mission will only take about a week."

"Thanks, Lee," Tenten smiled. She waited awkwardly for Lee to leave. "You can go away now." Lee gave them a thumbs up and caught up with Iri again. Iri sighed when Lee caught up to him. Even Reikon was never this audacious.

"So you say her name is Tin Mitsumi?"

"Yes that is right, Gai-sensei." Mitsukai said softly.

"And how did you three youths come about this information?" The boys both blushed furiously. Reikon coughed to break up the silence.

"We just asked some locals about him." Gai smiled wickedly inside.

"Hn, well that's good!" Gai smiled brilliantly. "You three will be backing me up from the outside."

Reikon growled in anger. "Why do we have to wait outside? We found out who the informant is!"

"She'll probably be irritated about you bringing in that dog of your's." Said dog growled and stepped up beside his master.

"His name is Koinu," Reikon snarled. Chiteki put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Chill out, Rei, he's probably right anyway."

"Fine."

"Wonderful! Now, Chiteki, take this communicator. I will alert you if Mitsumi-san tries to escape."

"Why would she try to escape?"

"We're asking for information on Orochimaru. I'd say that would be enough to make most anybody want to run away."

"We're in position Gai." The trio was fanned out all around the building. Even though they expected nothing to happen, they were all quite tense. Quite to their surprise, a woman in her early twenties rushed out of the building.

"She's coming!" Mitsukai headed her off quickly, as this Mitsumi-san was non-shinobi. Mitsukai held a firm stance in front of the much older woman.

"Mitsumi-san, please do not run or I will be forced to resort to violence." Her teammates took advantage of this moment to fall in and surround the woman.

"Hey, guys, chill out! Your sensei just wanted me to stage this for you guys!" The woman said scratching her head. 'I honestly didn't think that the shy girl would though.'

"Gai is a moron," Reikon grumbled only to be elbowed by Chiteki. "Ouch."

Gai joined them within a minute of two. "I haven't got a map, but I can lead you there," Tin said lightly.

"That would be wonderful!" Gai gave her a thumbs up again.

"Then off we go!" Tin marched toward the woods.

Reikon nudged his teammates lightly. "Are we really going to follow this strange woman into the woods?" Chiteki shrugged in response.

"I guess so," Mitsukai said softly. "Just be on your guard." Both of the boys nodded diligently.

They proceeded through the forest for several hours, stopping only once to fight with a very aggravated bear. The last bit of light was leaving the sky, the vibrant colors of sunset fading rapidly.

"We should set up camp for the night," Tin said. "It gets pretty rough around these places at night. Lots of snakes y'know?"

"It'll be fine. We really should keep moving."

Tin scratched the back of her head. "Well, truth be told, I really need to slow down. I can't really keep you guys' pace for an extended period."

"You could just turn around you know."

She shook her head wildly. "No, no! I'm just not a shinobi y'know? I don't have your level of endurance!"

"Calm down already," Chiteki said irately. "We should split up."

"Wonderful idea! Chiteki, Reikon, you two will be coming ahead with me. Mitsukai, you will be staying back with Tin for now. Catch up as soon as you can, though!"

"Alright, Gai-sensei."

"It's all straight up ahead, boys," she said while waving them onward.

"Let's go!" Gai shouted enthusiastically. "We will give you an hour to catch up before we raid!" Mitsukai nodded.

"We're almost at the rendezvous point guys," Iri stated blandly.

"Finally," Tenten muttered under her breath.

They were meeting the man at an abandoned shrine, for what reason, they did not know. He was a simple man, a merchant about Iri's age. He told them that he was delivering an important waterproofing salve, as the wood of the bridge was already becoming mouldy and rotten.

"Why are there only two barrels of this stuff? I thought that the Great Naruto Bridge is very large."

"It is very large, but this," he paused and tapped on one of the barrels, "is very potent stuff. And it is also very expensive."

"Come on. We should get moving already."

Yuu brought around a second horse and jumped lightly onto the saddle. Iri took hold of the ropes around the first's neck and started to lead it down the winding path that they were to follow.

"Why do you need protection for such a simple task?" Neji asked as politely as possible.

"Some of the old gangs still want to take back the Land of Waves. If the bridge is gone it makes the process that much simpler for them."

"Hn," Neji grunted in response.

Mitsukai and Tin walked along the path in an awkward silence that had held for hours. Tin stole a quick glance at her. Anyone could tell that the girl was shy just by looking at her face.

"So, Mitsukai, which one of those boys are you dating?" Mitsukai blushed in the deepest shade of red.

"W-What? Neither of them! I-I like someone else, you see!" Tin laughed openly.

"Don't be so easily flustered, Mitsukai."

"I'm not, Mitsumi-san! It's just that Chi and Rei are my friends and," she rambled on until Tin clapped a hand over her mouth.

"You want to know something, Mitsukai?"

Green eyes focused on the older woman. "What?"

"When you get flustered," she smirked slyly, "you really drop your guard."

"W-wha," she was interrupted by the swift movement of a kunai being thrown. Barely having any time to react, Mitsukai leaned back in an attempt to dodge the projectiles, but still felt the polished metal graze the top of her forehead.

"Mitsumi-san!"

"You are a tad slow, Mitsukai-chan!" Tin cackled. Mitsukai readied her self for the next attack. She clicked on her communicator.

"Get out of there guys; it's a trap!" Static came as her teammates' only response to her warning, eliciting a growl from the usually calm girl. "Damn! They must be out of range!" Mitsukai blocked the next attack, sounding a metallic clang. Blood continued to trickle down her forehead, staining pale blue brows. "I need to warn them!" More kunai flew at her, just grazing skin again, though. A sudden thought occurred to her; Tin was just toying with her before the kill. Metal clanged each time she came at her, matching one another blow for blow. Mitsukai couldn't keep it up for much longer, and she knew it. After all, the woman was easily much stronger than she.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Her average of three clones appeared in a flash of smoke. Three of the bodies stayed to fight while the other took off through the trees.

Tin snarled roughly, "Kori!" The young girl's bodies dropped to the ground in a frozen daze. The older woman took off after the shy girl bounding through the trees. "You can't get away from me so easily."

Blue, frozen lips parted, forming a single word, "Release." The two clones with her disappeared as she ran off to find her comrades.

Reikon and Chiteki were pressed up against cold stone. They had come in just minutes ago, and they had already had to separate from Gai-sensei. Reikon nudged the blond boy; his calm yellow eyes looked down on him.

"I'm worried about La-chan. She should have been here by now, even with that Tin lady with her." Chiteki listened intensely to his communicator for a moment. "Is she trying to reach you?" Chiteki shook his head, a frown plastered on his face.

"I think so, but it's only coming up as static. She must be too far away." Reikon scowled at the noise, and Koinu bit into his ankle, reminding him of the task at hand.

They continued down the corridor until Reikon put an arm out to block his friend's path.

"I smell blood up ahead. It's a dead end, literally. We need to turn around." What the boys heard next made their skin crawl.

"Tin…Trap…Get out of there!" The communicators crackled with Mitsukai's voice. Yet the animalistic screech that tore through the corridor was the worst they would ever hear.

"Oh shit. Hey Gai we need to get out of here! Tin set this up!" Reikon yelled into the communicator. They began to slowly back down the corridor. An agitated looking beast stalked them down the passage.

"Oh damn." Reikon moved down into a crouch. "Shikyaku no Jutsu! Jujin Bunshin!" The feral twins ripped into the monsters chest. The beast knocked Reikon easily to the side, smashing him into a wall.

"Er, Reikon! Inabikari Utsu no Jutsu!" He formed the hand seal quickly and braced his arm with the other. The scent of scorched fur and flesh filled his nostrils. He glanced briefly at the charred beast. It was unconscious, for now at least. He scooped up his friend easily and started to run out of the building. He found Gai waiting for them outside.

"Are you guys OK?" Chiteki set Rei down in the grass.

"I'm fine. Reikon probably has a concussion though," Chiteki stated. "Where is Mitsukai?"

"She hasn't shown up yet. We've got to go find her and Tin though."

Mitsukai lay battered and bruised in the bushes. Tin had caught on and ambushed her. She pressed on the communicator button yet again. "She's headed your way guys. Watch your backs. Mitsukai pulled herself off of the ground jerkily.

"I really wish that we were with Iri-sensei right now." Mitsukai stumbled down the path.

"Mitsukai, we caught Tin. Can you get out here?"

"Yes, I am on my way now."

Comparatively, Iri's mission had been a cakewalk. They had only been forced to separate once, which was much less than usual with Team Gai, and there had only been a few minor gang attacks. They had been able to deliver the waterproofer safely, and the bridge was definitely going to keep future water damage in check. They were back at the village gates in under a week.

The two teams crossed paths at the grand gates of Konoha. With Mitsukai's gash and other injuries, to Reikon slumped over on Chiteki, Team Iri appeared horribly damaged. Team Gai looked liked angels to the beaten members of Team Iri.

"Good lord, Gai! What did you do to my team?" Iri yelled as soon as he caught sight of the battered teens. "What happened?"

"Iri-sensei, you opened your scars again." He touched a hand to his cheek, and it came back wet with blood.

"I'll explain it on the way to the report building!"

"Fine, but you two are going to go to the hospital!" Iri commanded. Chiteki nodded and rushed his friend down to the hospital. Mitsukai began to follow when Lee caught her wrist.

"Are you OK, Angel-chan?" She nodded in a daze. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

She shook her head, almost losing her balance in the process. "I just want to go home." She slumped onto the boy. He sighed but smiled a little knowing that she was alright. The green-clad boy lifted her onto his back and crossed her arms over his chest. Lee blushed as her head rubbed against his neck.

"Angel-chan, you need to be more careful," he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Lee-kun." She squeezed him tighter.

"I missed you, Angel."

"So did I," Mitsukai said softly before quietly drifting off to sleep.


End file.
